Codex Digital, specialist in high-resolution media recording and workflow systems, continues to shrink the world of digital cinematography for broadcast and motion picture production with the announcement of its new On-Camera solid-state recording system. The On-Camera, set to ship in Spring 2009, is packed with many of the same advanced features as the ground-breaking Codex Portable. It is designed to clip on to HD, 2K and 4K cameras, giving the camera crew the freedom to move anywhere around a set or location with enormous recording capacity.

Codex Digital On-Camera

The On-Camera can record over two hours of 2K cinema footage, or over four hours of high-end broadcast material, as well as audio and metadata. As with all other Codex recording systems, and unlike comparable products, the On-Camera enables true tapeless production. It offloads footage up to ten times faster than realtime, in file-formats ready for editing and compositing – underlining the ability of Codex workflows to deliver unrivalled efficiency, productivity and creativity.

Weather-resistant, rugged and weighing less than 3kg, the On-Camera is designed for ‘run and gun’ production – around a set, up a mountain or in a field – on the full range of broadcast drama, episodic TV and light entertainment, as well as digital motion pictures.

The Codex On-Camera is always ready-to-record and runs off all standard camera batteries (12-28V). Flexible I/O configurations mean the On-Camera can record from virtually every digital camera available today – including all HD cameras in video mode, plus data-mode from cameras such as the ARRI D-21 and DALSA’s Origin, and others as their data ports become available.

The On-Camera also features a “Mutter Track” microphone input, which allows the user to add comments during a take for shot logging and notes.

In production, the On-Camera provides immediate playback and review of footage on its own daylight-readable screen, or remotely over a wireless network. It delivers DPX and MP4 files directly, and in conjunction with the Codex Transfer Station or Codex Lab, can deliver shots in all industry-standard formats, including DPX, MXF, DNxHD, QuickTime, AVI, JPEG, BMP, and BWF (WAV) files. It can even provide native-mode files that editing-systems can use with no importing at all.

Codex Digital expects to ship the first production-ready units in Spring 2009, and will announce pricing at that time.